trying to increase flow of a 3/4 hp jet pump

[pointman]

I have a flotec 4322 3/4 jet pump pulling on a 3/4 inch PE tube going to the foot valve. i haven't checked the static depth of the water yet. the pump manufacturer recommends a 1.25" suction pipe which will not fit down my schedule 40, 1.5 inch well casing!.

I am trying to remedy low flow and from what i read putting a larger diameter suction pipe my help. is this the case?

also as stated i have a 1.5" casing, what would be the maximum size suction pipe i can send down the casing?

and lastly if i can only put a 3/4" I.D. suction pipe down the casing would it help to step up the size to 1.25 from the well seal to the pump?

 

[Texas Wellman]

You should be able to install 1" dropline down the 1.5" casing. Or you might try just hooking directly to the casing. It might work.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[pointman]

Its a surface jet pump with only 1, 3/4 suction line 15'-20' to the well seal, 90 barbed fitting to 60' dropline with a 3/4" foot valve at the bottom, i was told by a neighbor who lived at this house in the 70's that the well is around 75 feet, but a single line surface jet pump wouldn't be able to draw from that depth. correct?

 

[LLigetfa]

...the well is around 75 feet, but a single line surface jet pump wouldn't be able to draw from that depth. correct?

It doesn't have to draw from that depth, only from the depth of the water table. The weight of the water in the water table pushes it up to the point of equilibrium. The pump just creates a partial vacuum, which removes the weight of the atmosphere that then pushes it up the rest of the way.

 

[Justwater]

so you just have one pipe down the well with a foot valve?.. no packer jet assembly?

doesnt that pump have 2 holes in the front of it? do you have one hole plugged or is there a shallow well adapter on the front that just has one threaded hole going to well?

 

[pointman]

No packer, this is why i can't believe it's 60' to water level. i will pull the dropline later today and try to get a static level for the water.

 

[Justwater]

doesnt that pump have 2 holes in the front of it? do you have one hole plugged or is there a shallow well adapter on the front that just has one threaded hole going to well?

isnt there 2 holes? shallow adapter or plugged hole?

 

[LLigetfa]

.. no packer jet assembly?

Does such a thing exist for a 1.25" or 1.5" casing? Not sure which it is since pointman mentioned both sizes.

Anyway... a pump can always push better than it can pull, so if a packer ejector would fit down the well, that should increase the volume.

I could have sworn that someone posted here suggesting to shorten that 3/4" pipe in the casing to 30 feet since a shallow well pump can't pump from any deeper anyway so the additional 30 feet of pipe is just a needless restriction.

 

[pointman]

It has the shallow well jet adapter on the front. i have been searching for a packer assembly for a 1.5" casing but have had no luck. in fact just getting info on any packer is not an easy task. at least not through the internet.

 

[Justwater]

i've seen a picture of a 1.5" jet assembly but its extremely rare and i dont think you can find them anymore. so if it is in fact 1.5" casing.. i guess its more than likely just a single drop pipe.. that pump is a POS too, i'd get a good cast iron shallow jet pump if i wanted best possible results.

when using a shallow well pump with drop pipe/foot valve.. anything over 30' of drop pipe is a waste of money because a shallow jet pump cant pull deeper than 25'.

 

[Justwater]

found the pic someone posted on another website that i can't mention. little one is a 1.5" jet (very odd), bigger one is standard 2".

 

[LLigetfa]

Ja, notice the thinwall coupler on the 2". My father once made the mistake of using one made for electrical conduit which split under pressure.

Also, if using poly pipe, there is no room for gear clamps. I forget what they are called but one needs the kind that is installed with a special ratchet tool and then set with a hammer.

 

[LLigetfa]

Oh, one more thing... I should point out that there is a distinct possibility that the well's recovery rate is limiting the flow and increaing the size of the suction line may have little effect. A small casing has virtually no storage, so a shallow well pump could draw down the table close to the 20+ foot point where it cannot draw until the natural level returns. A packer converting it to deep well mode would allow greater pressure differential from deeper allowing faster recovery, or it could suck air depending on the well.

A good test might be to connect a better pump directly to the casing and measure the GPM the well can produce. There is also the possibility of sucking up mud that needs to be kept in mind.

 

[pointman]

IF A 1.5" packer system is unavailable or super hard to find then the packer is out.

considering the casing has been there for decades, i assume the inside of the casing will not be clean enough to get the packer to seal if it were still available. my biggest question is will adding a larger diameter dropline increase or decrease flow considering the line may be at its physical limit for depth.

 

[Justwater]

best thing would be to hook it strait to the well like someone said earlier. then you will know how much water you are working with.

 

[pointman]

without a foot valve can i get a pump to prime if i connect directly to the casing?

 

[LLigetfa]

You would need to put in a checkvalve. A check valve is essential to keep the water from running back into the well when the pump shuts off.